MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



383 



Figure 535. — Muhlenbergia richardsonis. Plant, X 3^5 glumes and lemma, X 10. (Jones 5743, Utah.) 



subobtuse; lemma and palea villous 

 on the lower half, the lemma acute or 

 mucronate. % — Known only from 

 south of Stanton, Tex. The type of 

 this species was previously referred to 

 M. thurberi Kydb. 



18. Muhlenbergia thurberi Rydb. 

 (Fig. 537.) Perennial, with creeping 

 rhizomes; culms slender, 10 to 20 cm. 

 tall, branched at base, the branches 

 erect, tufted, the tufts on branches of 

 the rhizome; sheaths glabrous; blades 

 involute, slender, mostly 1 to 3 cm. 

 long; panicle pale, narrow, slender, 3 

 to 7 cm. long, the branches short, ap- 

 pressed, few-flowered; spikelets 3.5 to 

 4 mm. long; glumes nearly as long as 

 the lemma, acute; lemma and palea 

 villous on lower half, the lemma mu- 

 cronate to short-awned. % — Dry 

 hills, New Mexico and Arizona; rare. 



19. Muhlenbergia curtifolia Scribn. 

 (Fig. 538.) Perennial, with creeping 

 rhizomes; culms 10 to 20 cm. tall, 

 loosely tufted, few from the branches 

 of the rhizome; sheaths glabrous or 

 pubescent; blades 1 to 2.5 cm. long, 

 2 to 3 mm. wide or less, rigidly spread- 

 ing, pungently pointed, more or less 

 pubescent; panicle 4 to 8 cm. long, 

 slender, the branches appressed; spike- 

 lets 3 to 3.5 mm. long; glumes acute, 

 a little shorter than the floret; lem- 

 ma and palea villous on the lower 

 half, scabrous above, tapering into 

 an awn 1 to 4 mm. long. % — 

 Rocky soil, southern Utah, southern 

 Nevada, and northern Arizona. 



20. Muhlenbergia glauca (Nees) 

 Mez. (Fig. 539.) Perennial, from a 

 slender creeping branching woody 

 rhizome; culms slender, wiry, erect 



